The is a birdfeeder and method for deterring feeding at a birdfeeder by wild animals such as squirrels. More particularly, the invention relates to a birdfeeder having perches for birds that provide a mild electric shock to squirrels attempting to feed from the birdfeeder, but not to birds.
Wild animals such as raccoons, opossums, and especially squirrels, can be most troublesome when they appear on birdfeeders. They disrupt the normal eating habits of the birds and consume food intended for the birds. Various types of "squirrel proof" birdfeeders have been introduced with varying degrees of success. Such birdfeeders have typically relied upon mechanical traps or physical barriers to prevent the squirrels from gaining access to the food. Squirrels are almost always able to overcome such traps and physical barriers through their acrobatic ability, ingenuity and/or lack of fear of harm, and the inability of even allegedly "squirrel proof" birdfeeders to consistently deter squirrels from feeding presents a continuing problem.
The present invention uses a mild electric shock to deter animals such as squirrels from feeding at the birdfeeder. It is desirable that the shock not be strong enough to permanently harm animals such as squirrels, but that it be strong enough to deter feeding at the protected birdfeeder.
The use of electricity to train or control animals is well known, but such uses generally do not discriminate between the types of animals affected by the electricity. Traditional physical barriers, even when electrified, are often inappropriate for wily animals such as squirrels. See, for example, the electrified rail fences shown in U.S. Pat. No. 4,118,752 to Iguchi and U.S. Pat. No. 4,706,941 to Sherdan.
Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide a novel animal deterring birdfeeder and method that provides an electric shock to animals attempting to feed from the birdfeeder while not affecting birds feeding therefrom.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide a novel animal deterring birdfeeder and method having electrified bird perches that are vertically separated so that a squirrel attempting to feed from the birdfeeder will likely contact two of the perches and receive an electric shock.
It is yet a further object of the present invention to provide a novel electrified animal deterring birdfeeder and method which is inexpensive to build and operate and which deters animals with a mild and intermittent shock.
These and many other objects and advantages will be readily apparent to one skilled in the art to which the invention pertains from a perusal of the claims and the following detailed description of preferred embodiments when read in conjunction with the appended drawings.